One more
by Zenthoknight
Summary: scotty brings the old and the new together to fight the dominion. Chapter Three now up. Thank you for all the kind comments. More will be posted with each review!!!!!!
1. Default Chapter

One More  
  
By J.M. Merriweather  
  
Standard disclaimer. I don't own any of the characters or devices herein, only the lucky folks at paramount do. The soul is mine, but the body is theirs and i am only borrowing it for a while. Please note in case of lawsuit that i have nothing of value to take.  
  
This story takes place during the early Dominion War  
  
Meetings, reports, and eggheaded admirals. Montgomery Scott snorted at it all. Between the Borg, Romulans, Dominion, and sometimes even the Klingon devils, the federation fleet was in a sorry state. Scotty had an idea. Five hundred starships from previous eras were sitting in drydock or in "junkyards". For a fraction of the cost of building a new ship, they could be updated to handle modern threats. The Powers that Be at Starfleet Command didn't believe that the old ships could be brought up to snuff. Scotty snorted again. He knew those ships like the back of his..."  
  
"Captain Scott?" called a harried voice from down the hall.  
  
Scott turned around, a quizzical expression on his face.  
  
"Admiral Nalfein wants to see you sir."  
  
Scott glared. "Aye, I'm sure he does. You tell the....the admiral that I have had enough brass up my..that i'm busy." he retorted, barely keeping a grip on his temper.  
  
"But sir, he agrees with your idea!" exclaimed the ensign  
  
Scotty brightened. "Well that's different now, isn't it? Lead the way please.  
  
Twenty minutes later.  
  
Admiral Nalfein sat in front of Scotty, listening intently. When Scott was done outlining his proposals and estimated times of completion (multiplied by only a modest factor of two, of course) the admiral composed his ancient face thoughtfully.  
  
"I like this idea. We could use the extra ships, the drain on our resources has been terrible. But i'm not clear on how well the old ships, especially ones that were originally in service in your day, could stand up to modern weapons.  
  
Scott snorted. "Sir, in my day when we went out to explore space, we went where none had been before. Ever. When you didn't know what to expect. Gods, highly evolved aliens, the first federation...we stood them all down. A ship is not what it's made out of sir...it's the spirit behind it. And I'll get all the lasses right in the end, you'll see."  
  
Nalfein thought for a moment. Then he touched his communicator. "Nalfein to Transporter Five. Two to beam to Observation Post 134 Alpha.  
  
The transporter beam took them in it's blue swirl...and Scotty couldn't help but remember when it was a proper gold....  
  
Scotty blinked to get his orientation...and his heart stopped. Hanging there in the drydock was a Constitution Class starship. He said aloud.  
  
USS Enterprise. NCC 1701-A. "Ach lass..." he breathed.  
  
"I'm sure you recognise the ship Captain. She's been here in drydock since 2294. Ever since you beamed off, no one has been allowed back onboard. No one was to be allowed until 2394. Sort of a Starfleet Time capsule. Here's the deal. You have three months and thirty engineers of your choice. Unlimited parts and supplies. I want the Enterprise-A refitted and ready to fight as a modern starship. If you can do this, and record it so that it can be duplicated, I'll reinstate you as her permanent chief engineer. If you can't...she goes back to drydock for good. Fair enough?  
  
"Don't you worry Admiral sir. She'll be ready... 


	2. The beginning

Scotty was having the time of his life.  
  
The Enterprise-A was still in good shape, considering that last beating she had taken at the hands of the klingon devils. He decided to pull all of the original hull plates and replace them with the modern ones. Then of course he would replace the original hull plates and spray it with an energy repelling quantum fillament. This brought the hull strength up to even beyond the Soverign Class standards.  
  
Of course, Scotty next focused on his beloved warp drive. The original core was replaced with one that recrystalized dilithium, and the hardware was updated to cope with the increase in power. The deflectors he merged with the new shield generator, giving the old girl even more solid shields than the defiant.  
  
The phasers he only modified slightly, and the photon torpedoes were simply replaced with quantum torpedoes.  
  
All and all it only took him one month. On the outside you had an eighty year old outdated Constitution Class vessel. On the inside you had a fully modernized ship, with the best defensive capabilities in the fleet. That morning, Scott invited Admiral Nalfein aboard.  
  
The ancient admiral arrived within minutes of the invitation. Scotty felt as proud as a father showing off a newborn child to the world. The admiral was stunned speechless by the improvements and figures of the old ship's fighting ability.  
  
"So what you are telling me, Mr. Scott, is that this eighty year old ship has the hull strength of a Soverign class vessel and better shields than the Defiant?"   
  
"Aye, sir. And the beauty of it is that they'll never think of looking beyond the appearance of the hull. I've even set programs to shunt all the power into the original systems in a pinch. One moment you are dealing with a hopelessly outdated ship. The next you are facing a modern starship up your hide." The engineer grinned with obvious pride.  
  
"Very well Mr. Scott, I am convinced. We will be assigning a full crew within the week. Next week, this ship must face a final test." The old admiral grinned like a shark for just a moment. "The Enterprise...E that is, has been dispatched to this Sector 005 for wargames. They know nothing more than that. I expect this ship to do very well at the very least, if not win. If that condition is met, we have 50 Ascension and Kirov class dreadnoughts for you to oversee before Enterprise-A goes into combat.  
  
"Admiral, I personally guarantee that we will singe the tailfeathers off of that bloody E."  
  
One week later.  
  
Admiral Nalfein called a meeting in the briefing room of the Enterprise-A. Most of the senior officers had not yet arrived. Scott was grieved that most of his old friends were too old to serve with him again, but he had to make do with his second chance.  
One senior officer after another was introduced to Scott, and he felt proud to see that they were excited to be on this ship. Finally Admiral Nalfein cleared his throat.  
"As you all know, finding someone to take the place of James Kirk as captain of the Enterprise-A was difficult at best. But, after extensive medical rejuvenation, we have found the only possible answer."  
  
Scott felt a grin break out on his face as Hikaru Sulu, looking about the same way as he did was he was 80 entered the room. Sulu moved with the fluid grace he had always shown, and even though his hair was white and his skin lined, his eyes shown with the fevor that they had always had.  
  
"I am pleased to be here today. With the help of the leading edge of federation medicine, I was returned to a much younger state. I feel like a kid again, and even though I feel a little guilty taking over Captain Kirk's seat, I assure you that I will live up to the destiny of this ship and the dignity of her forbearers." With that, Sulu took a seat next to Scotty. At Scotty's puzzled look, Sulu flashed him a bright smile and an easy laugh. "Mr. Scott, you really didn't think I'd let you take the old girl for a spin without me, did you?" Scott swallowed hard. "I'd have thought for sure you'd push for the Excelsior." Sulu grinned again. "I knew I'd have to wait until someone else could refit it, seeing as what you did to it last time." At that the two old friends laughed heartily, and Scotty reflected that even if some of his old friends were absent, they would always be there in spirit. 


	3. Battle Envy

On board the Enterprise-E, Picard was pacing.  
  
"Number One, we are in the middle of a war, and the flagship of the federation is sent to the hinterlands for no real purpose I can discern. We are fighting a well-equipped force that is not interested in negotiations. And yet, the best thing Starfleet Command can come up with is more wargames."  
  
Riker sat quietly for a moment. Jean-Luc Picard very rarely lost his temper, but when he did it was towering and left all around the captain speechless.  
  
"Sir, with all due respect, you cannot take this as a personal slight. Odds are that Starfleet wants to test out some new ship or some new tactics. We are the most advanced ship in the fleet, and have the best record in the wargames. So if you look at it that way, it wouldn't make sense not to send us."  
  
Picard paused for a long moment. "You have a very good point Number One." A long silence followed, but Riker could tell that this was a thoughtful silence. It meant that the tactician in the Captain pondering all of the possibilities.  
  
"Make sure that Mr. LaForge has completed the nessecary modifications to the defense and offensive systems. Begin working with Mr. Data for preprogrammed manuevers during the wargame." Picard grinned at Riker. "Let's remind Starfleet Command of our value to the war effort, shall we?"  
  
  
  
"Captain's Log, USS Enterprise-A. Hikaru Sulu commanding. The Enterprise- A has just finished her shakedown cruise. Even knowing after long years of serving with him what Mr. Scott is capable of, I am still impressed. At a fraction of the time and cost of building a brand new state of the art vessel, we have a fully modernized starship. I am eager to take this vessel into the upcoming wargames with our posterity, the Enterprise-E. I want to prove the worth and mettle of this vessel. I want to prove that Starfleet chose the right captain for this vessel. I have been feeling old now for a very long time, and I cannot tell you how good it feels to be useful again."  
  
Sector 005  
  
Enterprise-E  
  
"Slow to one-half impulse, Mr. Diatano. Modified shields up. Sensors on full. Ready simulated torpedoes and phasers." "Aye, Captain. All systems standing by. Sensor scans in progress."  
  
"Very good, everyone keep a sharp eye out..."  
  
"Captain, sensors indicate a derelict vessel off the port quarter." The helmsman seemed confused. "Sensors read it as a Constitution Class vessel."  
  
Every head on the bridge snapped up at that. "Constitution class?"  
  
"Yes sir. Their saucer is drifting into view now." Suddenly the helmsman tensed and sat blankly at his screen. The captain snapped "Data, see what ship that is!"  
  
"USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A, sir. Confirmed."  
  
Picard glared at the drifting vessel on the screen. "It must be a trap, though why someone would go to that length I cannot say. Continue sensor sweeps, Mr. Diatano, shields on full."  
  
The sensor array on the Enterprise-E were strained to the limit, searching for any sign of their mysterious wargames opponent.  
  
The first blow came from behind and rocked the mighty starship.  
  
"Full about! Where did that shot come from, Mr. Data?"  
  
"Sir, the Enterprise-A is powering up, second wave of simulated torpedoes impacting in two seconds."  
  
The starship was rocked again. "Return fire, simulated torpedo spread alpha three, rapid succession." bellowed Picard.  
  
On the bridge of the Enterprise-A  
  
Sulu's grin was shared by every member of the bridge crew. By randomly presenting their old fashioned deflector screens, they had been able to keep their shield strength above ninety percent, while outmanuevering the much larger starship and pummeling it from all sides.  
  
"Scotty how's our great granddaughter out there faring?" asked Sulu.  
  
The old engineer grinned. "Shields down to forty two percent, warp drive out, and impulse being hammered by simulated torpedoes."  
  
Sulu thought for a moment. "Mr. Hawson, open a channel to the Enterprise- E."  
  
On the Enterprise-E  
  
Picard was frustrated. The smaller ship was able to fly circles around his ship and she had a new shielding system that gave them an edge over them. With warp drive out, and main engineering reporting major simulated hull damage, Picard was running out of options. "Data, try hitting them with tractors. Maybe we can deflect some of those incoming torpedoes."  
  
The tractor beams lanced out under Data's expert hand, deflecting a majority of the incoming torpedoes and depolarizing some of the phaser strikes. It bought Picard sometime to think.  
  
"Number One, do you see something I'm missing?" Riker grinned at Picard. "They got us from behind because we expected something else. They were ready for us, sir. I don't have any better ideas then you do right now."  
  
"Captain, message coming in from the Enterprise-A."  
  
"On screen, Ensign." Picard watched as the screen switched from the legendary ship to her equally legend captain.  
  
"Captain Sulu!" said Picard in awe.  
  
"Captain Picard, I am offering you the choice of surrender or simulated death." Sulu's smile was wide and glowing.  
  
Picard turned to Data. "Well, Commander?"  
  
"Shields failing, sir. The tractors cannot stop all of the hits. I think we've reached the end of the line, partner."  
  
Picard smiled. "I agree. Captain Sulu, we ask for your terms."  
  
"Oh my terms are very simple, Captain. A dinner on board the Enterprise-A for you and yours, with our crew, and a full report to Starfleet Command about how this old ship ran circles around the Federation flagship."  
  
"You have my word on that. What's for dinner?" 


	4. Friends and Foes

Chapter 3: Trial By Fire  
  
Montgomery Scott was very proud of the way things were turning out.  
  
Starfleet finally had enough ships to fight the war against the dominion and it only cost a fraction of the resources and time that new ships would have. Scott had just finished outlying his plans to refit the Kirov and Ascension Class Dreadnoughts and the other surviving Constitution Class ships.  
  
Morgan Bateson, an old friend and the captain from his time who had been brought forward by a recursive casualty loop came to Scotty one day to discuss an idea.  
  
"Scotty, my crew and I have felt like relics ever since we came to this century. I want to ask you if you can refit the Bozeman into a modern ship."  
  
Scotty grinned at him. "Of course I can, Morgan. The Enterprise-A leaves Spacedock for patrol duty on the Cardassian border in six weeks. Bring the Bozeman here and I'll fix the old girl up right for you."  
  
Morgan Bateson had a wide grin on his face. "You have no idea what this means to me, Scotty."  
  
"Oh, aye I do. There is nothing more important in this life than making a difference."  
  
Six weeks later.  
  
The Bozeman and the Enterprise-A were refitted, stocked and ready to go. Starfleet had assigned them to patrol together along the Cardassian border, and the two old ships gleamed with pride, as if to say "We are back with a vengence."  
  
Hikaru Sulu watched the chaos on the bridge unfold around him as he sat in the command chair, feeling very much like he had come home. He missed the Excelsior, but if the Enterprise-A and the Bozeman performed well, then Mr. Scott's next assignment would be the Excelsior...of course he would be watched carefully. Sulu didn't plan on having the ship stall out around him. He grinned at the memory, and brushed aside the reality of how long ago that had been.  
  
Morgan Bateson felt pride in his crew as they scrambled to familiarize themselves with the new functions of the Bozeman and keep the ship ready for launch. Ever since he had come to this time, he had felt like he was playing catch up. Now he felt like he was back in the game and knew all of the rules. "Spacedock, this is Bozeman. Requesting permission to depart."  
  
  
  
"Spacedock, this is Enterprise-A, requesting permission to depart." Sulu's voice betrayed his excitement.  
  
"Enterprise-A, Bozeman, you are clear for departure."  
  
Sulu looked around the spacedock for one more moment, remembering the last time he had taken the Enterprise in. With a sudden surge of nostalgia, he got up and laid his haid on Lt. Defalco's shoulder. "Let me take the helm for this, Lieutenant."  
  
Defalco got up with a grin, amazed that she was about to see the legendary captain and helmsman take the Enterprise-A out.  
  
Sulu swore that just for a moment, he heard Jim Kirk's voice say "Mr. Sulu, one quarter impulse power." "Aye Captain." he whispered.  
  
The Enterprise-A and Bozeman slid from their berths as if one vessel and eased out into open space. Sulu felt the raw power of this ship in his hands once more, then got up and gave the helm back to Defalco. "Thank you, Lieutenant."  
  
Sulu sat down in the command chair, and remembered how good it felt to be young again.  
  
The Cardassians had no love of Captain Sulu, having fought with him for years along their border in the 2350's. A spy of the Obsidian Order had learned that the Hated One was in space again and heading toward their borders. The call went out and fifteen cardassian Galor class warships headed for the Verduk System and hid in the asteroid field. Sooner or later, the Hated One would be too close to avoid them and that is when the Hated One would die.  
  
"Captain's Log, USS Enterprise-A. We are nearing the Verduk System near the border. We will stay on our side and use probes and our own long range sensors to keep track of Cardassian movements. It is our hope that we will take some pressure off of Deep Space Nine and our own battle weary fleet. I have been at this stretch of border many times in my long career, and I have advised the Bozeman to be on fullest alert. The Cardassians hide their ships in the system's moons and ambush. Normally they send five warships, and I do not anticipate more since they do not know that I am in command again. On Cardassia Prime, I am known as the Hated One. If they'd just take the time to get to know me, I'm sure that they'd think that I am a pretty nice guy."  
  
"Captain's Log, USS Bozeman. On the advice of Captain Sulu, we are running on full alert. Mr. Scott has outdone himself on the old girls. The Bozeman has never been better or more battle ready. That and I think he refits these ships with the idea of confounding the Soverign Class. Our impulse engines and smaller size make us more agile than even the most advanced warships, which we shall use to fullest advantage. I am looking forward to testing our mettle in battle."  
  
Meanwhile, The Cardassians wait... 


End file.
